FAYETTEVILLE - When Arkansas plays Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl at Cowboys Stadium, it will do so not knowing when it will play at the facility again or what its next opponent there will be.
The Razorbacks have played at the venue each of the last three seasons as part of a 10-year agreement with Texas A&M. The series pays the teams $5 million each year and allows Arkansas to increase its exposure to recruits in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
But with the Aggies’ impending move to the Southeastern Conference, the future of that game is in doubt. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said he would like to keep the new conference game at Cowboys Stadium, while Texas A&M would like to move it to a home-and-home series.
“I think we’re still trying to work something out to play A&M there every year; that’s what we would like to do,” Petrino said. “That’s what the contract says we’re going to do.
“I don’t know how that’s going to work out, but certainly we would love to play a game there every year.”
VIDEO: Bobby Petrino – Saturday Post Practice
While the future site of the conference series remains in doubt, the Aggies’ move to the SEC leaves Arkansas looking for a marquee nonconference opponent.
With the two teams initially scheduled to play nonconference games through 2018, the Razorbacks aren’t scheduled to play another team from a BCS conference until a home game against Texas in 2021.
If the Texas A&M game is moved to the schools’ campuses, it leaves the door open for the Razorbacks to do like several other teams and schedule an attention-grabbing nonconference game at Cowboys Stadium. Arkansas has the difficult task of honoring its agreements at two off-campus stadiums.
“You have to have five games in Fayetteville, two in Little Rock, one in Dallas, and you can’t go out and schedule a home-and-home, which I would like to do,” Petrino said.
The SEC is expected to release its 2012 schedule for conference games some time next week. While conference dates will be finalized, Arkansas likely won’t release its full schedule until some time after the new year.
You can follow Matt Jones on Twitter @NWAMatt.
But that takes a conference home game from inside the state. As a season ticket holder, that means that I lose a game. I don’t like that. As far as recruiting goes, Hogs will still go to TX every other year and play in College Station. So its not like the UofA loses all exposure in TX, and given the SEC gets more exposure in TX than ever before, it seems like recruiting will be just fine.
I don’t think it takes a conference game from season ticket holders. It would prevent the season ticket holders from benefiting from an additional conference game due to realignment.
Solution is easy. If this is possible.l Leave A&M game as it is or if A&M insist on home and home then play at Cowboys Stadium every other year and take the full pot. In the meantime pick up OU or OSU, (or any big name) as a home and home in Fayetteville. Of course the home game in Fayetteville alternates with the home game in Dallas. Season ticket holders get the marquee home game in Fayetteville.
If there are complaints, it should not be about how this ends up, but rather what is done with War Memorial Stadium. They need a new venue in Little Rock in the worse way, if not; they need to reduce it down to 1 game moving another game to Fayetteville.
I agree Hog Authority, A game with either Oaky team is what I would like to see, and most times it would be a top 20 or 10 game. Great game for TV audience and recruits throughout country as well as Texas and Oaklahoma.
I bet a guaranteed annual game in Cowboy Stadium is fun to sell to recruits.
Being able to list Cowboys Stadium as a Home venue speaks volume, and can only help to elevate the program to the elite. No offense, but Razorback Stadium can’t come close and if ANYONE speaks of War Memorial in the same paragraph as Cowboy Stadium, they should be banned. Oops, I just did
(I vow to return after my banishment. I did not say how long )
@rmmr,
My guess is that OU like Texas will coward at home & home against Arkansas. They both like the win one big game and being in NC Hunt.
Okie State, Boise State, Stanford, Wisconsin, Michigan State or Nebraska would be Juicy in Fayetteville.
How does A&M get out of the contract? Wouldn’t the SEC want a conference game in Arlington in Cowboy Stadium? Seems like that would be huge for the conference. Still think BCS schools should only be able to play BCS schools, and stop all the cupcake scheduling.
Of course the BCS may not exist after January.
MC,
What makes you say that it might not exist after january? Has there been any headway torward a playoff preference for college football?
@MC, I am with you. Last things first.
BCS is on the lifeline of Big 10 and PAC12. Both have fully realized there schemes to be top dogs have failed miserably and with Arkansas touching BCS #3 they can take no more. My view as long as they have that man love for Rose Bowl and each other, the next system will not be much better. Don’t ever expect a true playoff as long as Scott & Delaney are commissioners.
Point #2. They can let BCS schools play whomever they please. But modify the rule to say 7 wins against BCS opponents to qualify for bowl game?
For sure and show you right; the SEC want the game in Cowboy Stadium, so does Jerry Jones, So does Long, So Does Byrne, and now… so does Petrino (not to mention the all important one; me
. So exactly what is the question or discussion? I am dumbfounded that anybody thinks it makes sense for Arkansas to NOT play A&M in Dallas? If I need to give my diploma back for blasphemy let me know?
Point #3: A&M can get out by by paying money which they have plenty of. This may very happen because the A&M folks I talk to at work feel like they (A&M) would have a better shot of getting EVEN with Arkansas with home and home. I have made the Dallas game an it is like Super Bowl for us…
@Brian,
I think the plus one is coming real soon. Rose Bowl will be untouched, best teams from PAC 12 and Big 10 not in NC game will always be in Rose Bowl. They are are VERY Hurt that TCU made Rose Bowl and won last year. I can live with that…
I like the idea of continuing to play A&M in Dallas when its our turn to host and taking the entire gate. That way we would continue to play a game in TX every year, one year at College Station as the visiting team and one year in Dallas (Arlington) as the host team. I don’t see how the Aggies can bitch about that. They would still be better off playing in Arlington every other year versus having to go to Fayetteville and face 70,000 plus Hog fans.
The solution is simple. Play A&M as a home and home series and replace A&M with TCU, SMU, Baylor, or Okie St in Arlington. The Aggies get their wish and we still play in Jerry World every year.
I agree with the comment Hog Authority mentioned about War Memorial and will go a step further and say we should do away with games in Little Rock altogether. I realize it won’t happen due to politics so, give them one game, a non-conference. War Memorial is decrepit and tiny. Years ago to add seats, they shrunk the seat widths from 18″ to 12.” The University is in Fayetteville, that is where home games should be played. Then there is the lost seat revenue and expense of taking the team to an in-state road game. The only team in the SEC that has a similar arrangement is Ole Miss….nice comparison, huh? The Razorback home games should always be a showcase to our university, our modern facilities and the power of our football program.
What is our contract with War Memorial ? On a game at Jerry’s house, not to worry, the Razorbacks will play there as much or more than any other college team, conference or non-conference. I say move one game out of Little Rock (a conference game, especially LSU) and see how it goes from there.
City of Little Rock should realize that War Memorial should either be renovated or lose Hog football games. Stadium should be expanded and made into world class facility. Question remains whether they would want to make that type of investment for two football games a year. Sooner or later something major has to be done or they will lose those games.
I think A&M wants to get out of the Dallas game because they haven’t won there against the Hogs 3 years in a row now, plus that game gets a lot of attention from the recruits and the media outlets and hasn’t worked in their favor to this point.
A home and home series is something that would give A&M a better chance to win, plus give them more exposure outside of Texas.
They know Arkansas is on the rise and even though A&M continues to get a lot of the best recruits in Texas, they also know their previous commitments of the past few years knew they were playing games against Big 12 opponents. Things have changed now.
I also wonder if maybe A&M is looking at the Longhorns to help strengthen their OOC schedule and help keep that rivalry alive for the sake of recruiting in Texas.
I’m sure Jerry Jones would give the idea serious consideration, providing A&M did actually end up buying out the series with Arkansas.
Growing up in the Little Rock area, I always loved going to Hog games at War Memorial, but I will have to agree that major upgrades need to be made, or a whole new stadium needs to be built altogether that is on par with Reynolds Razorback Stadium. There is no sparkle anymore for the TV cameras in War Memorial Stadium. While there is definitely some great tradition in playing in LR, the stadium now pales in comparison to Fayetteville.
It seems to me that the logical choice for an annual game in Dallas (if the Aggies just can’t stand to lose anymore times in Dallas) would be to play the Longhorns there. Heck, since the national media loves to hype up TCU and Houston, we could play them there, too. I personally see that as a pretty easy win against a team that, right or not, will be ranked in the top 20 early every season. OU or OSU would be good choices, too, but it seems to me that if we play anyone in Dallas, it should be a team from Texas.
I was under the impression Arkansas and A&M would just continue to do the same thing OU and Texas have been doing for years.
They continued their rivaly, even after joining up in the same conference to form the Big 12 in 1996.
I suppose our rivalry with A&M doesn’t carry that kind of weight, but over time, who really knows?
These comments prove that fans these days dont really care about the team, and only want to play a top 10 team every week, whatever the cost in injuries or victories. I’m a realistic hog fan and understand the utter stupidity of your requests and demands. How pitiful. Go Hogs, see you at the Cotton Bowl
Some good discussions and points.
@MichiHog: Understand your point is simple; but it is only that simple given that IF A&M pulls out? We are looking at what is the all around BEST scenario for the Razorbacks, and that is keeping “The Southwest Classic” annual game in Dallas as is. It would be akin to the Florida / Georgia SEC game every year.
Fayetteville will gain a new game, since CBP wants a home and home, it suggests that it will be against some marquee school?
@Gonzo just so you know, Texas (Dodds) has announced they will not be playing A&M. There is VERY bad blood between the schools. If they do renew the game it will likely be home & home not in Dallas.
I think some people overlook the fact that Texas already plays in Dallas, So does, Oklahoma in the real Cotton Bowl (old one in Fair Park) Okla State and Texas Tech play in Dallas. So none of those schools will be interested in playing Arkansas in Cowboys Stadium.
@wyohog: If A&M does back out, it would not necessarily be a team from Texas. LSU plays Oregon every year in Cowboys Stadium.
To me the best game to add is OU or OSU. But as I have pointed out, those games if they are to be played would have to be home and home.
I don’t think Houston is the marquee match up needed to push us up the way most are expecting. TCU would be a bad matchup, because it would be literally be a home game for them making Razorback fans be outnumbered. I think they already play a game in Cowboys Stadium as well? Need to confirm that?
In summary, lets just hope A&M don’t pull out and we all agree that game stays, and lets just hope CBP can ink a deal to play OU or OSU (or equivalent) home and home in Fayetteville, and lets hope the State and City of Little Rock build a new facility in Little Rock. Little Rock has got to keep up with the times or get left behind, hey they don’t even play the Cotton Bowl in the Cotton Bowl anymore.
At some point they will have to stop playing in Little Rock. There needs to be one more game in Fayetteville at least. Alabama went through this argument years ago and it has work out well for them. The stadium in LR is not up to standards of being in the SEC whereas RRS in Fayetteville is way cool and getting better. Continuing to play in Dallas is a good idea because we will have presence in both Dallas and Houston if we go to home and home against A&M. Would be great to see a Texas game scheduled there but it won’t happen.
Maybe a Big Ten team in Dallas.
if the Hogs get a good enough Defense to help Beat Alabama,they will be begging the Hogs to come to Arlington Tex.
What has changed with A&M? They came out first saying they wanted it to stay in Dallas for the recruiting exposure in Dallas. I’m not sure we have the facts straight on this issue. I think it is important to have a conference game exposure in Dallas. This brings the SEC into focus in a very important area for both schools to get exposure. I find it hard to believe A&M has changed their stance on the sight of this game. If we back out on this deal I am sure LSU would love to play A&M there to replace us.
Baylor or TCU would be my first choices to replace A&M as an annual game in Dallas. Texas Tech would also be a possibility. We have to find someone who is willing to place us every year in Dallas. TCU might be in Fort Worth, but I know from SWC days that we would draw just about as many people as TCU. Since it looks like A&M is bent on going home and home, we have to find some other alternative.
I’m sorry, but I don’t understand all these people acting as if moving more games out of Little Rock is a no-brainer. For most of the people in the state, getting to Fayetteville is a major ordeal. I live 35 mins outside of Little Rock. To go to a Hogs game on the hill, we have to drive three hours both ways. That means that unless you drive up on Friday and pay extra for a hotel, you spend six hours on the road and get back around 2 a.m.
And I live in Central Arkansas. If you live in El Dorado or Texarkana, forget about it. What you are effectively doing by moving games out of Little Rock is pricing out the most passionate fans who can’t afford to take a whole weekend and drop hundreds of dollars on hotels and meals to see the Hogs play. I don’t think it’s too much to ask to have one patsy and one legitimate opponent in Little Rock every year.
Whatever brinksmanship needs to happen to make renovations happen in Little Rock with the local government, that’s fine (although we are in the worst economy in 80 years); but don’t talk as if actually moving games out of there is simple or even fair.
*I meant drive up early on Saturday and stay the night in a hotel
I live in Texarkana, have been a scholarship donor for many years and go to all in state games. War Memorial is a very poor stadium, but parking problems overshadow everything. I used to have scholarship parking near the stadium with quite nice tailgateing areas. The last 5 years I have been shifted farther and farther from the stadium and now have no place at all to tailgate. It stinks.
Fayetteville, on the other hand, has been updating parking and tailgate areas and now outshines War Memorial hands down.
@KA,
Just so you clear on my prospective. I like the fact that we play games in LR. I am well aware of all of the benefits for fans and players alike. What I think most are saying above is that War Memorial is obsolete? Someone has to do something. Someone is the State and\or City of Little Rock. I don’t see the U of A breaking existing contract, but short of a vision from Little Rock and that War Memorial venue, it is very simple and straightforward to most. They will be looking to move EVEN more games from Little Rock. I think people like us are actually supporters to playing in Little Rock. We are saying start and do something NOW, don’t wait until the contract expires and UA is forced to consider other options. Somebody built Altel Arena and somebody built that War Memorial Stadium something like what 100 years ago? Find those somebodies and get a new Stadium in LR. Make it enticing where people will travel from Tenn, Texas etc to come to LR.
FYI, The City of Dallas took the same path that LR is taking with trying to renovate that old Cotton Bowl. Arlington forked up the money that Jerry needed and Jerry World is someplace else. Now you tell me how did Arlington get the money that Dallas claim they could not get in a down economy? Little Rock is as big if not larger than Arlington, we don’t need billion dollar stadium but something that is modern to make the state proud. Ability to seat 100,000 would make it viable for even more fans.
If we do keep it in Dallas and let one team be the home team one year and the other the next would we be able to host Recruits in Dallas as part of our home game ? ? ?
I think everyone would agree that a new/drastically renovated stadium in LR is needed. The question is, is that need so great right now to justify taking games away from the huge number of Hog fans who can only make it to LR games?
I have seen no arguments made by anyone on here to convince me that’s the case.
Re: Hog Authority: Yes, I agree with you it’s time to start now fundraising/making a new stadium happen. I don’t have any expertise in how such things or done, nor the money to play a significant role, but I agree. But I am absolutely against moving games unless it is a necessity (and right now it’s not).
Re: Kajon: that’s great that you’re a scholarship donor. I’m glad you support the university. But for the vast majority of Hog fans, getting your parking spot shifted further away from the stadium is not a consideration; the point is that kids from Camden and Crossett and elsewhere without the resources to travel to Fayetteville have the chance to actually see the Hogs in person.
That is why LR games are always a better atmosphere than Fayetteville games. Taking nothing away from Fayetteville, which is a great city, but the enthusiasm you see in LR is a direct consequence of people who don’t get to see the Hogs play in person but once or twice a year. In Fayetteville, it’s 5 times.
I suspect that most people who argue for moving games, Kajon aside, live within a couple hours of Fayetteville. Unless Arkansas football is in some sort of apocalyptic crisis that I don’t see, it’s just frankly sacriligious to move games away.
Coach, I don’t think hosting recruits in Dallas is an option. I’m not sure of the rules, but I think we are limited to maybe one game off-campus to host recruits. That was one of the reasons years ago that moving the LR games to Fayetteville was considered. As much tradition as there is in playing in LR, the infinitely stupid NCAA rules really make it hard on the UA to keep up that tradition.
I do hope we continue playing a game in Cowboy stadium, but I think it should be a team from Texas. I know it doesn’t have to be a team from Texas, but playing someone from another state in Dallas just seems dumb. I know LSU and Oregon are doing it, but my opinion stays the same. Otherwise, why don’t we try to schedule a game in sunny Florida to play someone like Nebraska? Because it doesn’t make sense. There should be some sort of connection about the site where a game is played, or at least about the two states involved. Just my opinion.
“Unless Arkansas football is in some sort of apocalyptic crisis that I don’t see, it’s just frankly sacriligious to move games away.”
And that statement is why it frustrates me to no end that we have games in Little Rock–Many act as if it’s a right, not a privilege. The University does not gain a dime from moving games to Little Rock when it come to money made from tickets and concessions sold. The athletic program loses over $1,000,000 by playing games in LR instead of Fayetteville.The only money it might gain is from maintaining donations from people who act as if Central Arkansas is still the only big town in the state economically, which it isn’t. The Little Rock games were once a necessity because both stadiums were roughly the same size and Little Rock was a “big time” venue (people forget that Fayetteville’s population was fewer than 40,000 relatively recently). The game is no longer a necessity. There are 25,000 more seats in Fayetteville. I feel bad for those fans from Camden (being a Camden native myself whose made that drive a time or two), El Dorado, and Crossett, but those are the breaks…Save up for a big trip to NWA one game a year and treasure it. I am sure a good contingent of Ruston LSU fans would LOVE to see LSU play in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, but LSU has the good sense to keep their games in Baton Rouge where they draw more fans (many of whom are probably from the Northern Part of the state). No other school in the country that has a situation similar to ours (LSU, Missouri, Minnesota) moves games to another venue to placate lazy fans who act as if it’s a right to move games closer to them. The Cowboys Stadium problem is only a problem because we also have the Little Rock problem. I have the best reason of all to have all games in Fayetteville: the campus is in Fayetteville. The only reason we should give up a Fayetteville home game is to play in a superior venue against a marquee conference or non-conference opponent.
And, if the University follows through on plans to expand RRS as noted in this blog http://blogs.nwaonline.com/slophouse/2011/10/18/ua-facilities-plan-unveiled/, then playing a game in an outdated stadium 200 miles away from campus will make even less sense than it does already.
And can we please quit perpetuating this myth that Little Rock has “a better atmosphere” than Fayetteville because it is flat out ridiculous. I have attended all the games in both venues for the past six years, and the crowds of games in both stadiums are directly proportionate to the intensity of the rivalry and the importance of the game. Little Rock has been fortunate to have the game with our biggest conference rival in some pretty darn good games over the years; put those LSU games in Fayetteville and the dropoff would be virtually nonexistent. The non-conference games are often like the Fayetteville non-conference. You could have held a chess match in the ULM game last year, as was the case with New Mexico this year. When Arkansas matches up with a marquee rival in an important game in Fayetteville, the crowd is just as electric, as was evident in the 2006 Alabama and Tennessee games, 2010 Alabama (the best home crowd I’ve seen, even better than 2010 LSU), and 2011 South Carolina games.
I live in St. Louis and have to drive over 300 miles each way to get to either Fayetteville or Little Rock. I try to make all the conference games even though most of our home games are played at night. A night game at either venue causes me to get home at around 6:00 A.M. on Sunday morning. I used to spend the night but with the increasing cost of tickets, motel rooms, meals etc. it just doesn’t make economic sense to drop an additional $150 – $200 to spend the night. If I can do it, so can people that live in Camden, El Dorado, Texarkana, Crossett etc. Just don’t plan a real heavy day on Sunday.
As a completely objective fan I agree with Skezell on the Little Rock/Fayetteville issue. That crappy old stadium in a crummy neighborhood next to a joke of a golf course is a high school type of place to play a Division One football game. No matter where anybody lives or how far anybody has to drive. Maybe all the classes for students should move to LR two times a semester! That “game atmosphere” bs is just bs. If there was any earthly good reason to build a nice big stadium in LR, Jerry Jones would have done it already. From my travels around the state of Arkansas anybody who doesn’t live close to NW Arkansas needs to move there. I imagine the only reason all games aren’t played in RRS has to do with selfish, small state politicians and their threats.
Anyone who still thinks that the “LR atmosphere” is better than at Fayetteville has not attended any games at Fayetteville in the past few years. It used to be that there was a definite enthusiasm shown in The Rock that just wasn’t shown in Fayetteville. Since BP got here that has changed drastically. Now Fayetteville really rocks on game day. Actually for some games it is rocking on the day before.
@Hog authority: while war memorial could use a good remodel/update taking these 2 games away from little rock would hurt the southern Arkansas fan base. War memorial razorbacks is usually a “sold-out” event. Little rock is centered in the state making it feasible for all hog fans to plan a visit to a hogs game. I agree War memorial could use some attention in detail/upgrades/ect. but moving (1) of the (2) games sounds a bit greedy. I think most in these areas would agree.
@Rigz,
If you read my post carefully, you will see that I am not a proponent of moving games from LR. I see from subsequent posts that it is a sensitive issue so I tread lightly.
I think their is some threshold of diminishing return when games played in the existing War Memorial venue value for Central Arkansas is less that the value to the University and Athletic Program.
I do not know this for a fact, but my perception is there are no plans to do anything for War Memorial so I assume the leadership up there are in essence playing hardball with the University. I just think a new stadium or major renovations should be in the works or be prepared to face the inevitable.
Some cities are tearing down stadiums that would be a treasure for Little Rock. i.e RCA Dome, Texas Stadium etc.
If you read Matts article above, the answers are all there but may be hidden if you are not on board.
CBP says he want to play A&M in Dallas. “I think we’re still trying to work something out to play A&M there every year; that’s what we would like to do,” Petrino said. “That’s what the contract says we’re going to do.
“I don’t know how that’s going to work out, but certainly we would love to play a game there every year.”
Only way they do not is A&M walks from contract. For sure CBP, Gearhart & Long are together on this. They were all in Dallas so if they say they intend to work to that contract, I am betting on them.
Next, in article CBP say he want home and home. “You have to have five games in Fayetteville, two in Little Rock, one in Dallas, and you can’t go out and schedule a home-and-home, which I would like to do,” Petrino said. That suggest Fayetteville. He is not saying taking games from LR because he can’t right now (contract) but he is saying he wants home & home. To me that home & home would have to be Fayetteville when contract expires with LR; unless they build the New Wonder Dome downtown LR, the 9th Wonder of the World.
WPS!!!
I’m not from Little Rock, but I think it’s important for the State and the Razorback Program to keep playing games there. It’s also great for Little Rock recruiting.
Go Hogs!
Maybe the Razorback golf teams should schedule a tournament on that course the tailgaters park on, to help recruiting. And maybe the baseball team could play some games in Ray Winder stadium to help recruiting. I can think of about 20,000 fans who are hurt by the games in LR.They can’t go to the game because there aren’t enough seats! You think any of the kids being recruited are taken to War Memorial stadium on their visit? Just to show them around, and how nice that stadium is? Don’t think so.
Take a look at this. I can’t confirm the legitimacy of the site, but this is LSU’s partial schedule for next year. Look at where the Arkansas game is.
http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa-12/sec/2012-lsu-tigers-football-schedule.php
The Hogs have enough top teir teams to play already. If you put in another team like Texas or OU or even TCU, it makes our line up almost impossible. Remember we play in the SEC west. We have a hard enough time with replacment players for injuries.
Jdawg, I wonder if you let the cat (tiger) out of the bag or if it is misprint?
Inquiring minds will want to know.
@Pete,
Don’t disagree with your statement, the question is really as to how long Long wants to play in that existing stadium? It has served it useful life and should be fully depreciated by now. If the right venue was in LR or at least planned, there would be more merit to the position. This is where Skezell is 100% on point. “Many act as if it’s a right, not a privilege”. Hogs should be selling out 70k plus facilities every week with the elite’s of SEC.
A new stadium for Little Rock or major War Memorial renovations isn’t going to happen, for financial reasons if no other. The Razorback program momentum and modern facilities are in Fayetteville. That is where recruits will want to visit and play. I understand what fans are saying about game travel issues but so be it. Look at Tennessee; their fans in Memphis and parts of West TN are closer to Fayetteville than Knoxville. Little Rock does not add anything to the program nationally or regionally (ex. SEC), ground zero is Fayetteville.
Don’t think anyone noticed, but the reschedule of the UT game down the road in 2018(?) is set for 9/11 which is traditionally a LR game. My guess is once the stadium expansion in Fayetteville is complete, there will be no more LR games. I wonder if they have considered “mini” season plans of 3 games/season (just for the expanded section) like other schools are doing so more fans can attend games? Living in Houston it’s near impossible to attend all those games in Fayetteville; the 8 hour drive to LR is bad enough! Houston Hog fans are hoping for a home and home with the Aggies, College Station is only 100 miles away, and what about all the great players from the Houston area: Knile D, Tremain T, Jacoby W, Travis S? Playing in College Station would help with the South/East Texas and maybe even Louisiana recruiting, and I would think Hogs playing in Aggieland and more Hog coverage on the Houston news (4th largest city in the nation!!) would be a much better payoff than the game in Dallas, which is already a huge Hog town anyway. Can’t wait for the baseball tournament at Minute Maid in March, Hog baseball in Houston! WPS!
At the end of the day its all about $money$…
JDawg,
I was fooled the same way by that site for the 2008 game. LSU did the same thing when they published the early 2010 schedule. Many sites assume the home game for Arkansas is always in Fayetteville.
I like Ok St. in Dallas but I don’t think they would want any part of them HOGS!
While we have folks that are still in la la land wandering about keeping A&M permanent in Dallas, I just learned that Alabama will be playing Michigan here in Dallas next year. Not only that Texas will be playing UCLA in 2014 in Cowboy Stadium. TCU played Oregon State this year not to mention LSU played Oregon.
@Rigz… for Jerry Jones it is about making money before breakfast, during lunch and at the end of the day.
Texas will play in Dallas twice 2014. OU and UCLA. We have unique opportunity with A&M but OSU might work, but that could be home & home in Fayetteville. I might be wrong but I thought OSU had something worked out with the Cotton Bowl to play during the season?
KA,from where i live it takes 5 and a half hours to get to Fayettville,maybe 6,thank goodness for TV.
Haven’t read all the posts and it may have already been said (sorry for the repetition if it has), but regarding a possible Dallas game with either OK or OK-State, many of you may remember that we used to open the season with OK-State in the late ’60s and most of the ’70s. It was either the opener or the second game of the season, almost always played in War Memorial, and featured some great players over the years. Back then the Cowboys weren’t close to the program they are today, but they would occasionally spring an upset on us. It was a much bigger game for them than it was for us.
I would be for renewing that rivalry, especially since OK-State is as highly regarded as it is now. Would be a great non-conference game in a great setting, and I’m sure it would be a featured national TV game that would draw great interest. We sure don’t need to schedule another cupcake if an opening needs to be filled; we need a game that will give us more national exposure and that will help us get better prepared for the conference games each year.
Mohogg…If I remember correctly, we did have recruits visit Arkansas at the LR game this year. I may be wrong but I’m about 99% sure we had visitors during that game.
I’m originally from Mena, so either stadium is probably pretty close in distance. I now live in Enid OK, so Fayetville is closer so if I go to any games, it would be there. But I can see why we have games in LR…gives fans a chance to see Arkansas play 1 time a year that may not have a chance otherwise. I don’t think it hurts AR at all to play there. I’ve never been to the stadium in AR so can’t comment on whether or not it needs rebuilt, but will take your words on it. I do know it’s smaller, which is probably why we normally schedule weaker teams there.
I say we continue to have our game in TX…great stadium, great exposure and a great rivalry which is only going to get better!
I really don’t understand the reason used to have games in LR to give fans a chance to see Razorbacks play? 20,000+ fans per game don’t get to see the game because of the size of the stadium. The stadium in Fayetteville is on campus and is beautiful. Now they are spending another 30 to 40 million to upgrade the football complex with many millions more planned to improve facilities there. Just doesn’t make sense to me. I would love to see LSU have to come to Fayetteville.
Leave the Aggie game in Dallas as is if the contract with Jerry is binding. Good pay check and presence in north Texas. Also, we don’t need to fall for the “latest Aggie joke”. We cancel the game and the next day Texas A & M / LSU is knocking on Mr. Jones’ door to pickup the same deal.
Bill you are right because it could be Alabama as well. I GUARANTEE you A&M wants to play in Dallas and Will, Whether they weassel out to play someplay else that they think they can beat or not to lose to Arkansas in Dallas, they will.
I will say it again folks, Alabama is coming to Dallas to play Michigan. We need to lock our home venue status with Cowboys Stadium. There are 50,000 plus seats more in Dallas than War Memorial and 30,000 more that DRR Stadium.
Regardless, I still same someone need to get off their arse and get something going in LR. The City and State deserve better. I will donate $100. That is all I got right now
Since this is billed as The Southwest Classic, then why not let Arkansas play every team from the old Southwest conference on a rotating basis? Those teams would be Texas, TCU, Rice, Houston, SMU, Texas Tech, Baylor and Texas A&M. Would rotate through each team (excluding A&M) on a 7 year schedule.
Venues in “jerrys world” are plagued with scalpers making it virtually impossible to get seats at a reasonable price. If there was just some way to rid these types of people attending games would be in the majority of razorback fans budgets weather it be in Fayetteville, Little Rock, or cowboys stadium. The attolement 12.5k, for the cotton bowl..seriously? With my math that’s 25k seats for (each) team, a good 75kRenter short of seating capacity that scalpers use to prey on. Just my 2 cents.
Both* teams sorry
Rigs,
For sure unless you have tie in with the University Ticket office you should not expect tickets at face value. Even the tickets sold through UA are not face value. Best bet is to AVOID scaplers is to use Stubhub. They are graet, some are scalpers too but Stub Bub is legit and they keep it clean. Tickets are guaranteed. The irony is your beef is why the game will stay. It is guaranteed money. Jerry hadn’t figured out how to make money on tickets selling a 2nd and 3rd time yet.
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